


found and haunted

by rrosebudd



Series: Winnie Odelle: Courier Six [3]
Category: Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Also idk if u can even count arcade as a character for this one, I made up some characters to go along with Winnie’s backstory, hes unconscious the entire time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 17:06:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13127949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rrosebudd/pseuds/rrosebudd
Summary: Winnie’s past comes back to face her in quite the literal way when she needs to fight the people she had wronged in her old life.





	found and haunted

It's not surprising, the number of abandoned houses that line the streets of the Mojave. Most are left empty from raidings, or people packing up and moving out, or those who fall ill-fated, victims of the wasteland itself. But, not surprising as it is, there are quite a lot of them. 

And, luckily enough, the house that Winnie and her two companions had found was quite a bit larger than most. Not very tall, but several different rooms, all with old items left behind. 

So, naturally, it was deemed a wonderful spot to stop for a night or two. The travelers weren't quite living up to that title, as they had not made much progress in distance, merely dawdling on their way to the Strip. 

Winnie had insisted they had time to kill, as she really wasn't under any time constraint to meet back up with Yes Man. Plus, the house was too nice to pass up the opportunity. Nice enough in comparison to the other houses who had fallen victim to the nuclear wasteland.

But even so, it was nice. It really was a bit musty, though. Lots of dust and the like. It could get hard to breathe at times. In fact, it was getting harder and harder to breathe with every moment. She couldn't breathe. Why couldn't she breathe? 

Winnie’s eyes shot open from her sleep, her lungs tightening from the strain of lacking oxygen. As her eyes widened, panicked, she looked up, and realized the dust wasn't the reason. A strong hand was clamped around her mouth and nose, pressing onto her face and stopping the flow of air into her lungs. 

As the realization hit, Winnie tried to scream, but the sound was muffled by the hand around her mouth. Her eyes shot their gaze upwards, searching wildly for the attacker. 

Standing behind her bed and leaning over Winnie’s face was a man, a wicked grin dancing across his lips. To the left of the bed stood a woman, her face covered with a painted hockey mask, arms crossed and staring at Winnie with a grin from underneath. “Rise and shine, little one,” the woman cooed as Winnie’s eyes flashed with fear. 

She bucked her legs, trying to free herself from the man’s hold on her. She brought both her hands to her face, wrapping them around the man’s arm and prying it off of her jaw. She gasped for air as his grip budged, loosening just enough for her to inhale. 

Winnie attempted to scramble to a standing position, pushing herself off of the side of her bed, but before she could lift herself, both pairs of arms grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her back. The man yanked her towards him, her back against his front, as he held her against the headboard of the bed frame. 

He weaved his arm around her neck, pulling her head back in a choke hold as she clawed at the skin of his forearm. The woman acted quickly, wanting to get her quiet, and pulled a revolver from her side and pointed it at Winnie’s temple. “Keep quiet, little Odelle.”

Winnie stopped her struggling momentarily, pausing both for breath and from the shock of hearing her own name. She fell quiet, chest heaving as she took the time to survey the rest of the room. The man and woman by her bed were not the only ones present. 

Four others stood in the room, accompanied by the two companions Winnie travelled with. Rex was on the ground, his mouth bleeding and his feet scrambling to stand. Two men held him down, having wrestled him to the floor. One kept Rex’s head pressed to the wood, the other keeping a hold on the dog’s robotic lower half. Rex growled and whimpered, attempting to free himself from their grip. 

Arcade, on the other hand, was not struggling for freedom. He was on his knees, his head slumped forward and his arms held by two other men to keep him upright, for his unconscious body could not do this itself. His glasses were cracked, and his platinum blond hair was matted with blood. The red dripped down the front of his face and off of his nose. 

Winnie made no noise, recovering from the shock of seeing her companions overtaken. She shook in anger and fear, turning to face the woman in the hockey mask, whose gun dug into the side of her head. Winnie whispered fearfully, “how do you know my name?” 

The woman merely cackled, keeping the gun pointed as she moved around the bed and sat on the mattress in front of Winnie. “You don't remember me?” She mused, putting her left hand on her heart in a mock offended gesture. She sighed audibly in a sarcastic manner, and she reached her hand up to her mask. “Well, now you’ve hurt my feelings,” she shrugged and suddenly lifted the mask from her face, resting it on top of her head.

Winnie’s eyes searched the face of the woman in front of her, and suddenly memories came rushing back to her. She saw her brother, she saw the house she took refuge in with the other Powder Gangers, she saw the others that she had lived with, she saw herself, gun pointed at her own twin. 

She came back to reality. “Andrea?” She hissed, confused. 

Andrea grinned wickedly, “it's been a long time, Winnie. Too long, in fact.” She sighed almost nostalgically, taking the gun away from Winnie’s forehead and holding it in her hand with a loving look. “You have no idea how long I've waited for this day to come.” 

Winnie tried to push away from the man holding her back, but to no avail, as he kept his arms placed firmly around her shoulders. Andrea took no time to pick her revolver back up and flash it in Winnie’s direction, holding it mere inches away from the Courier’s face. 

Winnie stared at the gun, breathing heavily. She looked back up at Andrea, whose eyes were narrowed and steely. She inhaled as though trying to compose herself, and spoke again, “how did you find me?” 

Andrea laughed at the question for a reason Winnie couldn't figure out. “You think this was intentional? Sorry to kill your high horse, but I haven't really been on a ‘big heroic journey’ to hunt you down.” She chuckled, her fingers curled in air quotes. “Believe me, you're not worth my fucking time.” Andrea bared her teeth in a disgusted expression, glaring at Winnie from underneath her eyebrows.

“But,” she continued, “when I’m taking a stroll one day and I hear some traveling merchants casually drop the name of the woman who happened to have murdered my husband in cold blood…” she sighed fondly, “I think you'll find that a mere 50 caps is a pretty good deal to find out where she went.” 

Andrea smiled almost genuinely at Winnie, whose face was one of pure disgust. “I really hate to break it to you, honey, but your past can't be erased by a little haircut.” She took a finger and flicked the small fringe that hung down from Winnie’s scalp, as the rest of her head was shaved. Winnie recoiled, shrinking back into the headboard of the bed. 

The Powder Ganger woman sighed and stood up from Winnie’s bed, lowering the gun and instead looking around the room. She put her hands on her hips, glancing around. “Nice place you got here, though. Real cute.” 

Winnie glared at Andrea, whose back was turned as she admired the large room. Andrea walked slowly over to her other men, who had Rex and Arcade detained. She smiled at the view. “And your friends here seem real sweet,” she commented as she walked forward.

Winnie growled and struggled again against the man that held her. “Don't you touch th-”

“Oh, relax,” Andrea rolled her eyes without turning back. “I won't hurt them. That's their job,” she motioned towards the four male Powder Gangers across from her with a chuckle. 

She stared at the companions again, “in fact, I'll cut you a deal. Once we off you for good, we’ll let your friends go, free of charge.” Andrea shot a glance back towards Winnie with a playful smile. “Sound good?” 

Winnie didn't respond and instead watched as Andrea turned back around. “Maybe I'll even keep them for myself!” She exclaimed, suddenly excited by the idea. “The doctor guy could definitely be useful,” she jerked the revolver in Arcade’s direction, holding it loosely as a mere prop to gesture with. She then turned towards Rex, “but I love this dog! Look at him!” 

Her compliment was met with a snarl from Rex, blood dripping out his wet nostrils as he struggled against his binds. Andrea grinned at him with squinted eyes, bending over slightly at the waist. “Hi, buddy.” She cooed, Rex responding with a snap of his jaws and an angry bark. 

Winnie stared furiously at the woman as she looked at Rex with a loving tilt of the head. The Courier slowly took one of her hands, left with enough mobility from the choke hold, and slipped it into the pocket of her jacket. She grabbed hold of the handle of a combat knife. 

Andrea straightened herself back up, hands on hips, but not deterred by Rex’s demeanor. “You don't find many cyberdogs around here anymore,” she commented to one of the guys holding Arcade, although it could've been said to no one in particular. “You'd think there’d be more. Do you reckon th-”

Andrea’s ramble was suddenly cut off by the cry of the man behind her, whose arms had been around Winnie’s upper body. He suddenly loosened his grip on her, the tip of a combat knife having been buried into the skin of his forearm, spilling blood out of the open wound.

Andrea’s eyes were shocked and angry as she saw the man stumble back, clutching his wounded arm. In anticipation of an incoming bullet, Winnie dove to the mattress below her on her stomach, flattening herself to the bed. 

She would be proved correct, for in a moment of fear, Andrea pointed the gun too quickly and misfired, the bullet flying only slightly above Winnie’s head and instead digging itself into the neck of the man behind her.

He called out in pain once more, and his body buckled backwards to the ground. Andrea gasped as she saw the bullet pierce his neck, and she brought her left hand to her mouth. 

Winnie took the opportunity to scramble from her position on the bed and instead bring herself to the floor. Andrea, seeing Winnie’s movement, quickly aimed her revolver again and fired, the shot this time clipping the skin of her shoulder.  
Winnie hissed through her teeth as the blood soaked its way through her clothing, but she moved forward nonetheless. 

She suddenly kicked her leg out, her instep colliding with Andrea’s ankles, sweeping the Powder Ganger’s feet out from under her and sending her tumbling to the ground, her back colliding with the wood with a hard crack.

Andrea groaned, the wind having been knocked out of her upon impact, and she dropped the gun. The revolver went skidding across the floor and towards Winnie.

The Courier quickly snatched the gun up in her hand, pushing herself to her feet. By now, one of the men holding Arcade let go of the now-semi-unconscious man and advanced towards Winnie, pulling a 9mm pistol from his pocket and aiming at her.

Winnie held her bleeding shoulder in one hand, and in the other, aimed steadily at the advancing Powder Ganger. She fired, the bullet wound appearing in the middle of the man’s chest. 

He took a step backwards, trying to hold himself up, but was faltering. Before he fell to the ground, he fired his pistol, and Winnie felt the skin on her thigh rip open and she grunted, trying to block out the pain. 

Rex bucked against the men keeping him down, and Winnie turned towards them, gun at the ready. Slow-moving, and not about to release this blood-thirsty dog from their grasp, the two men did not move to brandish any weapons. Unfortunately for them, Winnie did.

Two shots, one in the head, the other in the neck. Both men immediately released their grip on Rex, falling to the ground like ragdolls, shouting in pain before collapsing to their death. 

Rex popped up from his position on the ground and sprung into action. He bounded over to the man holding Arcade and pounced on him, sinking his teeth into his flesh as the man screamed in agony. Arcade fell forward to the ground, unable to catch himself as he fell, but stirred slightly upon hitting the wood. 

The man went down, Rex tearing the flesh off of his legs in rage. Andrea had shakily brought herself to her feet, reaching instead for her belt, from which she pulled a straight razor and pointed it menacingly towards Winnie. Winnie glanced down at Andrea’s razor as the Powder Ganger slowly raised it towards her hesitantly.

Winnie spoke quietly, still putting pressure on the wound on her arm. “Andrea, I won’t kill you too. I won’t put any more of your kinds’ blood on my hands.”

Andrea stared at Winnie, infuriated. “Then that makes this easier for me, doesn’t it?” She growled, suddenly jumping towards Winnie, straight razor at the ready. She slashed at Winnie’s face, the blade colliding with her cheek, cutting through the flesh on her face and sparking a trail of blood across it. 

Winnie called out in pain, reeling backwards and winding her fist back, gun in hand. As Andrea advanced again, Winnie attacked, striking the gun across Andrea’s face with a sickening crack. The revolver collided with her skull, and she went staggering backwards with a shriek.

Winnie cocked the gun and shot again, this time downwards at Andrea’s legs. The bullet punctured her shin, blood pouring from her leg as she stumbled back. 

Andrea screeched in rage, the straight razor falling from her hand and clattering to the wood floor. She wound up a fist and tried to advance again, but Winnie raised her leg and kicked Andrea in the gut, sending her sailing to the ground. 

It was quiet in the house for a moment, save for Rex’s incessant growling and Andrea’s shaky breaths. 

Winnie, with both a limp and a wounded shoulder, dragged herself to stand above Andrea, taking her foot and placing it neatly on top of the Powder Ganger’s chest, keeping her pinned to the floor with the gun pointed at her. 

Andrea stared up at the Courier, whose enraged face looked back down. She snarled at her, “I should've killed you when I had the chance.”   
Winnie narrowed her eyes, keeping the gun steady. She shook her head. “I've been shot in the head before. Can’t say I care for it very much.” 

Andrea coughed, blood rising in her mouth and dribbling out the corners of her lips. She writhed in disgust, refusing to take her eyes off of the woman above her. “You're a monster.” 

“I'm a survivor,” Winnie stated matter-of-factly.   
Andrea scoffed and shook her head, accepting the end of the battle. She spoke through cracked and mangled breaths. “You… you're going to pay for what you did to Ray. One of these days, you're going to get what you deserve.” 

Winnie inhaled, lowering the revolver. “Maybe so.” She considered this for a moment. She had thought the same thing her whole life. “But not from you.” She glowered down at Andrea. 

Winnie took the revolver and tossed it to the side, Andrea’s eyes following it in longing. “I'm not going to kill you,” Winnie breathed softly. “That's what I said, and it's what I've decided.” 

Andrea opened her mouth to retort, but was interrupted by Winnie’s foot pressing harder on top of her chest. The Courier continued. 

“But so help you God if you decide to come looking for me. Because I promise you, I will have changed my mind by then.” 

Winnie didn't wait for Andrea to respond, and she instead took her foot and brought it down on top of Andrea’s forehead. A thud followed, and Andrea’s head lolled to the side, unconscious, but alive.

Winnie exhaled a shaky breath of relief, removing herself from the Powder Ganger woman and walking towards Rex. She sank to her knees and stretched her good arm out toward him. 

He walked towards her and pressed his body lovingly against her own. “Good job, boy,” she muttered.

She stood back up and limped cautiously towards her other companion, who stirred slightly in his semi-awake state. Winnie knelt back down next to him, trying to hoist him up from his position on his stomach. 

When she realized she wasn't quite able to lift this man, and that he wasn't about to wake up by himself any time soon, she scurried back over to her bed and grabbed the bag that hung off the post. She quickly rummaged through it and grabbed a Stimpak, moving back over to Arcade and one worried Rex and steadied the needle above the side of his neck.

She slowly injected the medicine into his skin, tossing the needle aside once completed. From his state on the ground, Arcade’s eyes squeezed tight and began to open slightly. He groaned, pressing his palms to the splintered wood floor and pushing himself to a position on all fours. 

Arcade coughed gutturally, droplets of blood spraying from his mouth. His glasses fell from his face and onto the floor as he retched, but the fit was quickly over.

He inhaled deeply and sat back on his heels, Winnie facing him in the same manner. He wiped the stream of blood from the corner of his mouth with the sleeve of his lab coat. Arcade grabbed his cracked and now bloodied glasses from the ground and cautiously placed them on his face, blinking a couple times while looking around at the carnage that now covered the room.

Rex stepped closer to Arcade and nuzzled his nose against the doctor’s arm in sort of a relieved gesture. Arcade turned to Rex in a daze, placing his hand atop the dog’s metallic head. 

Arcade slowly turned back to Winnie, blinking again as though trying to process a large amount of information at once. “What’d I miss?” 

“Quite a bit,” Winnie retorted weakly, struggling to stand, but lifting her hand out to Arcade to help him do the same. He held his head in one hand while he took Winnie’s hand with the other as he stood.

She sighed, looking down at the faces of the Powder Gangers who now lay on the ground, all dead except for their leader, whose eyes were closed in an unconscious slumber. 

Winnie turned back to Arcade with a face of grim acceptance. She grabbed her bag from her bed, careful to step over the bodies that scattered themselves along the floor. She exhaled, stepping towards the door. 

“We should keep moving,” the Courier spoke solemnly before pushing the wooden door open, letting the cool air in as she stepped out.

**Author's Note:**

> This is all I got on Winnie Odelle but I may return and write some more for this gal bc I do love her


End file.
